Note: Don't Forget to join my Patreon.com/flokixy to get access to +30 Advance Chapters I have to stop if there is no support
Not long after Wujie and his group departed, the critically injured Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, knew he could not completely seal Orochimaru's soul along with his own. With his last ounce of strength, he severed the arms of Orochimaru's spiritual form, rendering him unable to perform hand seals or use ninjutsu.
This event later drove Orochimaru to hastily attempt to take over Sasuke's body, only to be defeated by him, ultimately costing Orochimaru everything.
Orochimaru was too hasty. If he had waited just a little longer, he would have discovered that with the release of a hot patch, performing ninjutsu no longer required hand seals…
However, at this point in time, hand seals were still the sole means of casting ninjutsu. Therefore, after losing the ability to form hand seals, Orochimaru immediately ordered a full retreat. Without ninjutsu, he might not even be able to defeat Rock Lee with the Fifth Gate open.
As Orochimaru and the Sound Village began their retreat, Baki, unable to locate the Fourth Kazekage, was also forced to order the Sand Village forces to withdraw. Alone, they stood no chance against Konoha.
Jiraiya chose not to pursue the retreating enemies but instead mobilized a large number of personnel to rescue the wounded and civilians within Konoha.
Rather than killing, he preferred saving lives.
But this decision also cost him the opportunity to completely annihilate the enemy.
Heavily wounded enemies who couldn't retreat, along with the jinchūriki Gaara, were placed under strict surveillance by Konoha.
When Wujie left, several of Konoha's elite jonin remained by Gaara's side, preventing the Sand Village from rescuing him in time.
At this moment, Konoha lay in ruins after suffering destruction from Shukaku, Orochimaru, and Wujie. The village was practically reduced to rubble. Aside from the Hokage Tower, which remained intact due to its barrier, almost no other structures were left standing.
Interestingly, while Jiraiya had already prepared to live in a tent, Ichiraku Ramen reopened that very night, serving steaming bowls of ramen to comfort the cold, weary stomachs of Konoha's shinobi.
In the original timeline, Gaara was injured early by Sasuke and retreated before Shukaku could wreak havoc in Konoha. Unrestrained by Shukaku, Jiraiya swiftly eliminated the giant snake summoned from Ryūchi Cave as it entered the battlefield. He continuously supported various fronts, decimating the combined forces of Suna and Oto and forcing them into a chaotic retreat.
Similarly, the Hokage Tower was never attacked, allowing accurate intelligence to be relayed across the battlefield. When the Sand Village's main force attacked the southern gate, reinforcements arrived promptly, significantly hindering Suna's advance.
However, in this altered timeline, Konoha suffered devastating losses.
Shukaku rampaged through the village, pinning down Jiraiya, while the giant snake from Ryūchi Cave wreaked havoc unchecked. The southern gate received no reinforcements and was quickly breached by Suna forces. The Hokage Tower was nearly obliterated.
Even Kakashi, due to the invasion beginning earlier than planned, failed to return to Konoha in time.
This resulted in the deaths of numerous ordinary shinobi and the collateral damage to civilians caught in the chaos. Konoha's overall strength plummeted to less than half of its pre-war level.
And this was merely a preliminary estimate. Once detailed casualty statistics were compiled, the outcome could prove even more severe!
But this wasn't Konoha's greatest loss.
The death of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, dealt the most severe blow to the village.
Nearly all of Konoha's current shinobi had grown up under Hiruzen's watchful eye. To them, the Third Hokage was Konoha itself.
Many other familiar figures also perished in this war—Nara Shikaku, Morino Ibiki, Yotaro Raido, and even Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu, who fought to their last breath defending the southern gate without reinforcements.
The entire village was engulfed in grief.
Moreover, the operations of Konoha had nearly ground to a halt.
The Hokage Tower had always been the nerve center of the village, where all administrative tasks were processed. However, during the Sand ninja's assault, every staff member present inside was trapped within its walls.
When Mujin unleashed the Primordial Seal, these individuals became mindless husks, their souls reduced to blank slates. Coupled with the destruction of the archive room—where critical records and documents were stored—Konoha now lacked anyone proficient in governance capable of handling the myriad logistical challenges that arose.
This plunged the village into utter disarray. Rebuilding these systems would require an immense investment of time and effort. Jiraiya, already stretched thin managing the aftermath, was nearing exhaustion.
A simple example illustrated the chaos: Konoha had been reduced to ruins. Both shinobi and civilians needed tents for shelter, food, water, medical aid, and countless other necessities. Who should receive priority? Where could supplies be sourced from? What if stockpiles ran low—where then would they procure more? Almost no one remained familiar enough with these procedures to address them effectively.
Even pure combat-oriented shinobi like Might Guy found themselves running errands across the village, doing whatever they could to help. Everyone was overwhelmed, yet none truly understood what they were supposed to be doing.
This was because...
Konoha currently lacked a unifying figure—a leader everyone trusted—to restore order!
Hokage Tower
"Jiraiya, are you still refusing to become the Fifth Hokage? This is no time for selfishness," Elder Koharu Utatane chastised sternly, blocking his path alongside Homura Mitokado. Standing nearby, Shimura Danzo remained silent, his expression grim.
Seeing no way to evade their persistence, Jiraiya scratched his nose awkwardly. "You elders have watched me grow up—you know I'm not cut out to be Hokage."
Danzo nodded slightly, but Koharu retorted sharply, "It's not about your willingness anymore. The village needs a Hokage. Even if you're not the ideal candidate, we have no choice but to appoint you."
"Then..." Jiraiya hesitated, glancing away. "Let me find someone better suited for the role. Someone far more qualified than me to lead this village."
Homura furrowed his brow, while Koharu immediately understood whom Jiraiya referred to. "Do you mean... Princess Tsunade? But her whereabouts remain unknown."
Jiraiya surveyed the chaotic remains of Konoha. Though reluctant—preferring even another battle against tailed beasts rather than dealing with such tedious matters—he quickly puffed out his chest with confidence. "Don't worry. I'll bring her back myself."
Kakashi Hatake had moved into the Hokage Tower, spending sleepless nights reviewing documents. Among the upper-tier shinobi, only he possessed the intellect necessary to keep Konoha functioning at a basic level.
Might Guy delivered mountains of supplies to various locations, treating it as part of his training regimen.
Meanwhile, Kurenai Yuhi used her rudimentary medical ninjutsu skills to care for wounded patients in makeshift hospitals...
"I can't thank you enough," one patient said gratefully. "I never expected to survive that falling meteorite."
Kurenai looked at him silently. He was one of many she had pulled from the rubble during the catastrophe. Her heart sank as she recalled how powerless she felt as a genjutsu specialist in the face of natural disasters. She could do nothing but stand by helplessly until faint cries for help reached her ears beneath the debris.
"You saved my life," the injured shinobi continued cheerfully. "And this isn't the first time either. During the Nine-Tails' attack over a decade ago, your father, Yuhi Shinku, saved me once before. Now here you are saving me again. Though I'm just a mediocre chūnin, if there's anything I can do to repay you, please don't hesitate to ask."